After reading Chapters 3 and 4 in your text and the additional resources in Week 2 Course Documents, share an experience that you have had with interculturalcommunication at work. What cultures were i

Introduction

“We usually see only the things we are looking for – so much that we sometimes see them where they are not.” Eric Hoffer

This lesson will help you deal with the challenge of communicating in the face of perceptual differences. A number of factors affect the way we select, organize, interpret, and negotiate information. We will begin by looking at some of the reasons why the world appears different to each of us. We will also explore the numerous influences on perception and practice the skill of perception checking.

It is important for us to remember that recognizing the perceptual differences outlined in this lesson won’t eliminate them, but it will make it easier to remember that another person’s preferences aren’t crazy, just different.

Learning Objectives

- perform perception checks to help prevent misunderstandings.

Influences on Perception

• Physiological

• • Senses

    • Differences in vision and hearing are the easiest to recognize, but even identical foods may taste differently to different individuals. Odors that please some people repel others. Temperature variations that leave some of us uncomfortable are inconsequential to others.

• • Age

    • Older people often view the world differently from younger ones because they have more experiences. Until the age of 7, most children aren’t able to understand another person’s point of view – this helps explain why children often seem egocentric.

• • Health

    • When you aren’t feeling well, you may behave differently.

• • Fatigue

    • Trying to deal with important issues when you are tired can get you into trouble.

• • Hunger

    • Trying to conduct important business when you are hungry can lead to problems.

• • Biological cycles

    • Are you a “morning person” or a “night person”? Each of us has a daily cycle that dictates our tolerance to stress, our mood, and alertness.

Now that you are aware of the physiological influences on perceptions, consider that it may be possible to manage your life so that you can deal with important issues at the most effective times.

Additional Influences on Perception

• Cultural

• • Language translations

• • • General Motors was surprised when its Chevrolet Nova model did not sell well in Latin American countries. Officials from G.M. finally realized the problem: In Spanish, no va means “does not go.”

• • Value of talk

• • • Western cultures view talk as desirable with silence as negative since it may be interpreted as a lack of interest. Asian cultures perceive talk differently. They typically discourage the expression of thoughts and feelings. Silence is valued.

• • Nonverbal behaviors

• • • Asian Cultures-- South Korea, Vietnam, and Japan--direct eye contact is prohibited between people of differing status.  A person of lower status avoids eye contact with their superior as a sign of respect.

    • Some Middle Eastern cultures, people stand very close together to smell one another's breath. To smell one another's breath is desirable.  In fact, to deny someone your breath communicates shame.

    • In some Arab cultures, men hold hands as a sign of trust. Saudi businessmen often hold hands as a sign of trust. Saudi women, however, are not to be touched in public. Saudi Arabians typically enjoy getting very close, face to face, and engaging in direct eye contact.

    • In many cultures the use of the left hand is forbidden. Kenya, Indonesia, and Pakistan forbid using the left hand for eating or serving food. In Iran, the left hand is used for cleaning and bodily functions and should never be used to receive gifts or other objects.

• • Geography

    • People living in southern latitudes of the U.S. are less tolerant of ambiguity, more likely to touch others, and more likely to verbalize their thoughts and feelings.

      • A southerner whose relatively talkative, high-touch style seemed completely normal at home might be viewed as pushy and aggressive in a new northern home.

• Social Roles

• • Gender roles

• • • Socially approved ways that men and women are expected to behave

    • After members of a society learn these customary roles, they tend to regard violations as unusual or even undesirable.

• • Occupational roles

• • • The kind of work we do often influences our view of the world.

• Self-Concept

• • Judgments of others

    • Extensive research shows that a person with high self-esteem is more likely to have a high opinion of others, whereas a person with low self-esteem is likely to have a low opinion of others.

• • Judgments of self

    • If you have low self-esteem, you may often be cynical and quick to ascribe the worst possible motives to others.

Social scientists use the term attribution to describe the process of attaching meaning to behavior. We attribute meaning both to our own actions and to the actions of others. Research has uncovered several perceptual tendencies that can lead to attribution errors.

The Accuracy and Inaccuracy of Perception

• We often judge ourselves more charitably than others.

  • When they botch a job, we might think they weren’t listening well or trying hard enough; when we botch a job, the problem was unclear directions or not enough time.

• We tend to favor negative impressions of others over positive ones.

  • Research shows that when people are aware of both positive and negative personal characteristics, they tend to be more influence by the less desirable characteristics.

• We are influenced by what is most obvious.

  • You might blame an unhappy working situation on the manager, overlooking other factors beyond their control such as a change in the economy, the policy of higher management, or demands of customers or other workers.

• We cling to first impressions.

  • It is an almost unavoidable tendency to form first impressions, but remember to keep an open mind and be willing to change your opinion as events may prove you wrong.

• We tend to assume that others are similar to us.

  • Others don’t always think or feel the way we do and assuming that similarities exist can lead to problems.

Perception checking provides a better way to handle your interpretations.

• Because the goal is mutual understanding, perception checking is a cooperative approach to communication.

A complete perception check has 3 parts:

1. Behavioral description

2. At least two possible interpretations of the behavior

3. A request for clarification about how to interpret the behavior

EXAMPLE

• • “You said you really liked the job I did.” (Behavior)

  • “On the other hand, there was something about your voice that made me think you may not like it.” (First interpretation)

  • “Maybe it’s just my imagination, though.” (Second interpretation)

  • “How do you really feel?” (Request for clarification)

Another Perception Checking Example

Description of behavior noticed
When you walked out of the room without saying “goodbye...”
Two possible interpretations of behavior
“I didn’t know if you were mad at me”
“or if you were in a hurry and forgot.”
Request for clarification

“What was up?”

Consider the following factors when deciding when and how to use this approach:

• • Completeness – you can shorten the perception check

    • “You haven’t dropped by lately. Is anything the matter?” (Single interpretation combined with request for clarification)

  • Nonverbal Congruency

    • succeeds only if your nonverbal behavior reflects the open-mindedness of your words

  • Cultural Rules

Latin America and Asia value social harmony over clarity

Perception-check whenever possible, but don’t overuse it!

Practice your perception checking ability by developing three-part verifications for the following situations. Write each component as if you were actually speaking to the other person. No need to submit this assignment – it’s just for practice!

• You made what you thought was an excellent suggestion to your manager. The manager looked disinterested but said she would check on the matter right away. Three weeks have passed, and nothing has changed. You walk into her office and say . . .

1. 1. 1. Specific behavioral description:

      2. Two possible interpretations of the behavior

      3. A request for clarification about how to interpret the behavior

• A coworker “steals” your best ideas and presents them as his own during a weekly meeting. You walk into his office after the meeting and say . . .

1. 1. 1. Specific behavioral description:

      2. Two possible interpretations of the behavior

      3. A request for clarification about how to interpret the behavior

• Write your own perception check for a misunderstanding you would like to clarify at your workplace.

1. 1. 1. Specific behavioral description:

      2. Two possible interpretations of the behavior

      3. A request for clarification about how to interpret the behavior